Filling carriers for shuttleless looms



Sept. 13, 1966 P. c. CONSOLETTI FILLING CARRIERS FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMSFiled Feb. 8. 1965 INVENTOR. PALJL. O. CONSOLETTI WM QQKM A TTORNE YUnited States Patent 3,272,237 FILLING CARRIERS FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMSPaul C. Consoletti, Milford, Mass., assignor to Draper Corporation,Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Feb. 8, 1965, Ser. No.430,929 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-122) This invention pertains to improvementsin filling carriers in shuttleless looms of the type in which the supplyof filling yarn is held stationary outside of the loom or fillinginserting means itself.

It is a general object of the invention to improve the construction ofdetachable carriers in a manner to increase the ease of application, orremoval, while at the same time guarding against interference with thosewarp threads through which the carrier must pass.

It is a further object of the invention to devise a carrier which shallbe inexpensive to manufacture and which may be easily applied in properalignment upon a flexible tape.

It is a still further object to devise a filling carrier which may beshaped by cold forming processes so that the exterior surfaces will inno way interfere with the necessary wiping action of the warp threads.

Other objects will become apparent from the following disclosure.

In shuttleless looms of the type where filling is supplied from anoutside source and is not carried through the shed upon an unwindingbobbin, it is customary to place each pick by cooperating reciprocableelements, one of which would be an inserting member and the other areceiving or extending member. The inserting and extending carriers havebeen fastened to and propelled by flexible flat tapes which reciprocatein unison in a manner well known to those familiar with this art. Aclear explanation of this weaving means and method is contained in twoUnited States Patents Nos. 2,586,638 and 2,604,124. It is not believednecessary to review those details in this specification. While in thispreferred embodiment, flat flexible tapes are disclosed as thepropelling means, it will be understood that the instant invention wouldbe applicable to other types as well, such as straight rods or rapiertype of inserters.

Carriers of the prior art have been comparatively expensive to fabricateand have been difficult to apply in proper alignment with the propellingmember. It has been generally necessary to remove the tape and carrierto a working area where a suitable fixture could be used for positioningeach carrier in relation to the carrying tape. The instant inventiondiscloses improvements in those carriers of the prior art which havebeen removably applied to reciprocable tapes. The drawings show acarrier suitable for use in receiving or extending a filling end, but itwill be understood that the disclosure would cover an inserting carrierequally well.

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail byreference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a filling extending carrier;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1 shown partially in section;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 with a modified fastening means; and

FIG. 5 is a forward end elevation of that shown in FIG. 1.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, a filling extending carriergenerally designated 11 is shown with a tension pad 12, a fillingcatching hook 13 and a forward end 14 which becomes the leading edgewhen the carrier is inserted into a shed. The tension pad 12 is securedto the carrier 11 in any suitable manner as by flat head screws3,272,237 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 15 and will serve to trap and pay outthe filling yarn as is well understood by those familiar with this typeof loom. This portion of the filling extending carrier is well known andis merely to position that which is novel in this carrier by way ofmeans for its ease of removal and proper application.

The carrier 11 has a generally flat trailing surface 16 which will liein a more or less horizontal plane, parallel with the filling placingtape to which it will be secured. The flat flexible tape 17 is reducedin width as at 18 and 19 (FIG. 2) to generally follow the conformationof the central portion of the carrier 11. Both edges 20 and 21 of thetape 17 are curved downwardly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 to approximatelythe plane of the lower edge of the trailing surface 16. These downwardlycurved edges may extend longitudinally of the tape 17 a distance in therange of three to four inches where the surface will then become flat(not shown).

On the upper side of the surface 16 are two circular bosses 22 and 23(FIGS. 1 and 3) which are spaced apart along the longitudinal centerline of the surface 16. The bosses 22 and 23 are of a size to fitsecurely into two matching apertures longitudinally spaced upon the freeend of the tape 17. The free end of the tape referred to is that end towhich the carrier is attached and which is 1 free to enter and toretreat from the warp shed.

A third aperture 24 (FIGS. 1 and 2) through the tape 17 is spaced apartfrom the other two apertures and is in line therewith. The surface 16narrows to an upwardly deflected trailing end 25, positioned so as toextend into the aperture 24. The combination of .the positioning bosses22 and 23 on the carrier 11 which will be encompassed by the tapeapertures and the trailing end 25 which will extend into the aperture 24will locate any replacement carrier in proper alignment without furtherfixtures.

A pressure plate 26 of flat metallic stock shaped generally to conformwith the flat trailing surface 16 of the carrier 11 is placed overlyingthe free end of the tape 17. The plate 26 has a flat central portionwith two fastener holes lying directly above the bosses 22 and 23 andthe apertures in the tape 17 A downwardly directed trailing end 27 isadapted to extend into the aperture 24 overlapping and in some pressurecontact with the upwardly deflected trailing end 25. A yarn protectingforward shoulder 28 which is formed as a part of the pressure plate 26will overlap the forward edges of both the tape 17 and the carriersurface 16 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The free end of the tape 17, when properly positioned between thecarrier surface 16 and the pressure plate 26, can be firmly secured in anumber of ways, as for instance, by countersunk socket cap screws 29 and30 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The bosses 22 and 23 would have been drilled andtapped to receive set screws. In the modification shown in FIG. 4 thefastening means is a pair of rivets 31 and 32 while other methods offastening may also be considered.

It will be seen that this carrier may be readily applied to a tape whilestill upon a loom and it will be in a true setting without the need offurther adjustment. The carrier in such looms must be free of anysnagging or projecting surfaces or points in order not to interfere withthe wiping action of the warp threads as it enters or leaves the shed.This freedom from snagging is taken care of on the inward motion by theshoulder 28 which protects the edges of the tape and the carrier. Thedownwardly curved edges 20 and 21 of the tape are such as to pass theyarn of the lower shed beneath the carrier with out damage. On theoutward movement of the tape and carrier, the warp yarns of the shedwill be gently separated by the curved ends 25 and 27. The yarn can inno way become caught or snagged and Warp yarn breakage is held at aminimum.

While one embodiment and one modification have been disclosed, it is tobe understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a numberof ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precisedetails described, but is intended to embrace all variations andmodifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the claims.

I claim:

1. For a shuttleless loom having reciprocable filling placing members bywhich picks of filling are introduced from a stationary outside sourceinto sheds formed of warp threads, the free end of each one of saidplacing members having apertures longitudinally spaced therethrough, afilling carrier including an upwardly deflecting trailing end, at leastone positioning boss formed with said carrier and adapted to beencompassed by said aperture, and fastening means whereby said carriermay be detachably secured to said filling placing member.

2. For a shuttleless loom having reciprocable filling placing members bywhich picks of filling are introduced from a stationary outside sourceinto sheds formed of warp threads, the free end of each one of saidplacing members having a plurality of apertures longitudinally spacedtherethrough, a filling carrier including an upwardly deflected trailingend, said end being positioned so as to extend into one of saidapertures, at least one positioning boss formed with said carrier andadapted to be encompassed by said aperture, and fastening means wherebysaid carrier may be detachably secured to said filling placing member.

3. For a shuttleless loom having reciprocable filling placing members bywhich picks of filling are introduced from a stationary outside sourceinto sheds formed of warp threads, said filling placing membercomprising a generally flat flexible tape, the free end of said tapehaving a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures therethrough, afilling carrier including an upwardly deflected trailing end, said endbeing positioned so as to extend into one of said apertures, twopositioning bosses formed upon said carrier in spaced relationship andadapted to be encompassed by said apertures, a pressure plate adapted tooverlie said free end of said tape, and fastening means whereby saidcarrier and said plate may be detachably secured to said tape.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said pressure plate includes agenerally fl-at central portion having fastener holes cooperativelyspaced above said apertures.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said pressure plate also includes adownwardly directed trailing end, said downwardly directed end extendinginto said aperture overlapping and in pressure contact with saidupwardly deflected trailing end.

6. For a loom having reciprocable filling placing flexible tapes bywhich picks of filling are introduced from a stationary outside sourceinto sheds formed of warp threads, the free end of said tape having aplurality of longitudinally spaced apertures therethrough, a fillingcarrier including an upwardly deflected trailing end, said end extendinginto one of said apertures, at least two positioning bosses formed uponsaid carrier in spaced relationship and adapted to be encompassed bysaid apertures, a pressure plate adapted to overlie said free end ofsaid tape, a unitary yarn protecting forward shoulder extending fromsaid pressure plate, said pressure plate including a generally flatcentral portion having fastener holes cooperatively spaced above saidapertures, a downwardly directed trailing end, said downwardly directedend extending into said aperture overlapping and in pressure contactwith said upwardly deflected trailing end, and fastening means wherebysaid carrier and said plate may be detachably secured to said tape.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,077,905 2/1963Remington 139122 3,085,598 4/1963 Belforti 139-122 3,088,497 5/ 1963Guindon 139-122 3,116,761 1/1964 Remington 139-122 MERVIN STEIN, PrimaryExaminer.

H. S. JAUDON, Assistant Examiner.

1. FOR A SHUTTLELESS LOOM HAVING RECIPROCABLE FILLING PLACING MEMBERS BYWHICH PICKS OF FILLING ARE INTRODUCED FROM A STATIONARY OUTSIDE SOURCEINTO SHEDS FORMED OF WARP THREADS, THE FREE END OF EACH ONE OF SAIDPLACING MEMBERS HAVING APERTURES LONGITUDINALLY SPACED THERETHROUGH, AFILLING CARRIER INCLUDING AN UPWARDLY DEFLECTING TRAILING END, AT LEASTONE POSITIONING BOSS FORMED WITH SAID CARRIER AND ADAPTED TO BEENCOMPASSED BY SAID APERTURE, AND FASTENING MEANS WHEREBY SAID CARRIERMAY BE DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID FILLING PLACING MEMBER.